Review - Doug's Dung

Doug's Dung (Once Upon a Garden)
by Jo Rooks
Date: 2020
Publisher: Magination Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Discover all of the lovable creatures and their stories in the Once Upon a Garden series.

Doug has trouble lifting heavy balls of dung. He just doesn't feel as strong as the other dung beetles. When Doug feels down that he isn't tough enough, a passing butterfly helps him see things in a different light and he realizes that strength comes in many forms. An uplifting story of a determined dung beetle who finds his unique strength in creating beautiful things inspired by nature, flowers, friends, and the garden.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is another cute title from the Once Upon a Garden series. In Doug's Dung, we meet a dung beetle named Doug who's not as physically strong as his friends, but who finds his strength in his creativity instead.

It's a cute theme of brains versus brawn, with the strong dung beetles eventually coming around and learning to value Doug's gifts. The illustrations are amusing, especially when Doug is turning his artistic talents loose on his dung balls.

Overall, this is another nice addition to the series. Readers who enjoyed the previous books will probably like this one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Magination Press for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5